British explorers row 450 miles to North Pole in world first voyage

A group of intrepid British explorers yesterday became the first people to row
to the magnetic North Pole after the ice caps melted in a journey that
encountered polar bears, collisions with icebergs and biting seals.

Old Pulteney Row To The Pole Challenge. Left to right, David Mans, Billy Gammon, crouching on floor is Mark Delstanche, Mark Beaumont is holding the camera, Rob Sleep is sat in the boat and Jock Wishart standing on the far rightPhoto: PA

Jock Wishart, an adventurer who has rowed his way across the Atlantic and circumnavigated the globe in a powerboat, said he and his five-man team were "exhilarated" after completing their 450-mile voyage through the Arctic waters.

The group, who embarked on their expedition to highlight the effects of climate change on the region, encountered polar bears and collided with icebergs in their specially designed vessel.

The group saw around eight polar bears on their journey, one of which came within five feet of them while Mr Wishart even had a seal attack him on his bottom as a reminder he was "still human”.

The successful trip to the Pole, described as the “greatest ocean rows of all time”, was only possible because of more seasonal ice-melt in the Arctic that has opened the waters up.

It was later pointed out by observers that the group had in fact reached the 1996 location of the pole.

The magnetic North Pole constantly changes position but the 1996 location was the first time it had been accurately plotted and the position has become an established objective for Arctic expeditions.

Throughout the journey, the crew, one of whom became a father a few days ago, compiled scientific research to help provide fresh environmental data on the impact of arctic deterioration on the polar landscape.

Mr Wishart, who led the Row To The Pole, described the journey, which took less than a month to complete, as “incredible”.

"I think this is one of my greatest achievements. It was a dream four years ago but now it's reality,” the exhausted explorer said yesterday.

"Up until last night we still could not say with certainty that we would reach our destination, so we are all exhilarated and relieved that weather conditions were in our favour.

"It is an enormous achievement, and a privilege for our team to have been part of what is one of the world's last great firsts."

Speaking by satellite phone the Dumfries-born adventurer and motivational speaker added: “It will go down in history books as the first ever (time) someone has rowed to the North Pole.

“It was a real true global first and probably one of the greatest ocean rows of all time. Everything had gone very much like clockwork.”

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a seal, called King Neptune, had bitten him on his bottom "to remind us what we are all human".

Another member of crew Mark Delstanche, 35, from London, had another reason to celebrate as he became a father to a baby son a few days ago.

The other rowers in the crew were Billy Gammon, 37, from Cornwall; Rob Sleep, 38, and British Army officer Captain David Mans, 28, both from Hampshire.

Mr Wishart has had a lifelong interest in polar exploration and in 1992 was part of the first team to walk unsupported to the geomagnetic north pole.

The father-of-two captained the team that broke the London to Paris rowing record in 1999 and walked unsupported to the North Pole in 1992.

Cyclist Mark Beaumont, 28, from Fife, was also on board making a BBC documentary about the voyage.

The group set out from Resolute Bay in Canada on July 29 in their specially designed boat-cum-sledge the Old Pulteney, which has runners on its underside so that it can be hauled over the ice.

They slept in shifts between rowing stints and were fuelled by 7,000 calorie per day dry rations. Another challenge was floating ice which blocked their route, particularly towards the end of their journey as the ice closed in.

Mr Wishart, who is in his late 50s described how pulling over ice and rubble in the last miles of the journey was a “hard reminder that we are mere mortal”.

He said the local terrain looked similar to that of a “giant car scrap heap” but that was completely white.

"We've been very lucky with the weather but there's been times when we've been trying to find our way through moving ice floes in fog and we're a long, long way from help,” he said.

Mr Beaumont's documentary, titled Rowing The Arctic, will be shown as part of BBC Scotland's Explorers Season this winter.